Swedish camera manufacturer Hasselblad is celebrating the 40th anniversary of the first man - and first Hasselblad - on the moon by inviting a limited number of H3DII photographers to join astronaut Buzz Aldrin and the Hasselblad design team at the Kennedy Space Center for a weekend of seminars, professional photography training, and photography. Aldrin, who shot with a Hasselblad while on the moon, will present a selection of his favorite lunar photography, while the Hasselblad design team will provide photographers with "behind the scenes" info on Hasselblad design, past, present, and future. A special Space Center Photo contest, featuring valuable Hasselblad gear as prizes, will round off the event.

In 1962, Astronaut Walter Schirra took his Hasselblad onboard the Mercury-Atlas 8 and took the first images of earth from space. Hasselblad followed NASA on space flight after space flight, with Hasselblad cameras proving that they could meet the stringent demands made by extraterrestrial travel. And in 1969, when the world watched in awe as the Apollo 11 astronauts became the first men to set foot on the moon, those astronauts also carried Hasselblad cameras, capturing some of the most definitive images man has ever captured.

"Obviously, lunar travel posed even more demanding challenges than shooting inside a space capsule, with the extreme temperatures and dust and such placing serious trains on any equipment," explains Christian Poulsen, CEO of Hasselblad. "Lunar photography leaves no margin for errors, no room for second chances. NASA wanted the best cameras possible - and they chose Hasselblad. Basically," says Poulsen, "we were chosen to go into space because we had the best cameras on earth. A claim that we are still proud to make today, forty years later."

The research and development that were required to meet the challenges of space travel benefitted not only extraterrestrial photographers, but even those with both feet firmly planted on the ground. The advancements gained during the space camera design process were implemented into the standard Hasselblad line as well. This formed the core of a design approach that Poulsen says lives to this day.

"At Hasselblad we are always striving to push the envelope of photographic technology. Each and every advancement that graces our flagship H3DII-50 and H3DII-60 cameras is also ported down to every other H System camera. This "top down" approach dates back to the first days of our NASA collaboration. To paraphrase Neal Armstrong, what was A Small Step for a Man, was A Huge Leap for Photography. And now, to celebrate the fortieth anniversary of this historic partnership, we are inviting selected Hasselblad customers to join us and guest of honor Edwin "Buzz" Aldrin Jr. in Florida at Cape Kennedy to join us in celebrating both the past and the future of photographic technology. This is a truly once-in-a-lifetime opportunity and we are thrilled to be able to bring some of our most dedicated customers along for the experience."

Hasselblad customers who purchase an H3Dll-50 or H3Dll-60 camera between July 1st and August 21st 2009 will be eligible to join Poulsen, Buzz Aldrin, and the Hasselblad Design Team on an all expenses paid trip to NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, USA between September 24th and 26th 2009. At the event, guests will be able to mingle with fellow professional photographers, industry insiders, and journalists, attend a gala dinner featuring a special lunar photography presentation by Buzz Aldrin, receive a "Condensed" Hasselblad University training session, participate in professional training sessions, and to take part in instructional lectures and other activities designed to help photographers get the most from their Hasselblad gear. A special guided photo tour of the Kennedy Space Center will give participants an unforgettable, behind the scenes look at the world's most advanced spaceport. Photographs taken during the tour will also be entered in a contest with valuable Hasselblad prizes presented to the winners on the second day of the event.

AJ

That sounds awesome. So does even being able to afford a 25k camera.

328KF

Some interesting history on their line of space-flown cameras is available on their website.

spaceman1953

As I have said many, many times, "I am the worlds' worst photographer and I've got the photographs to prove it!"

At least now with digital, I don't have to PAY to have my stuff developed!